“The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the twentieth century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.”

“From the outset, the young Hamilton had phenomenal stamina for sustained work; ambitious, orphaned boys do not enjoy the option of idleness. Even before starting work, he must have developed unusual autonomy for a thirteen-year-old . . . Hamilton exuded an air of crisp efficiency and cool self-command. While his peers squandered their time on frivolities, Hamilton led a much more strenuous, urgent life that was to liberate him for St. Croix . . . He was a proud and sensitive boy, caught in the lower reaches of a rigid class society with small chance for social mobility.”

From note 16, Chapter III:American Scripture, Making the Declaration of Independence, by Pauline Maier

“With regard to the values and educational methods of the eighteenth century, note that Jefferson himself kept a ‘Commonplace Book.’ Its pedagogical purpose was suggested by Jefferson’s teacher, the Rev. James Maury, who instructed his own son to ‘reflect, and remark on, and digest what you read,’ and to dwell on any remarkable beauties of diction, justness or sublimity of sentiment, or masterly strokes of true wit which may occur in the course of your reading.”

From note 97, Chapter IV: American Scripture, Making the Declaration of Independence, by Pauline Maier

“At Chicago, Lincoln . . . said that the argument that the principles of the Declaration of Independence do not apply to blacks was identical to ‘the arguments that kings have made for enslaving the people in all ages of the world. You will find that all the arguments in favor of king-craft were of this class.’ Douglas’s argument was like that of ‘the same old serpent’ who says ‘you work and I eat, you toil and I will enjoy the fruits of it. Turn it whatever way you will—whether it come from the mouth of a King, an excuse for enslaving people of his country, or from the mouth of men of one race as a reason for enslaving the men of another race, it all the same old serpent . . . .”

“I think we are born into this world and inherit all the grudges and rivalries and hatreds and sins of the past.But we also inherit the beauty and the joy and goodness of our forebears. And we’re on this planet a pretty short time, so that we cannot remake the world entirely during this little stretch that we have. But I think our decisions matter. At the end of the day, we’re part of a long-running story. We just try to get our paragraph right.”

John Adams

From American Scripture, Making the Declaration of Independence, By Pauline Maier

” . . . . the committee appointed Mr. Jefferson and me, to draw them (i.e., the ‘Articles’) up in form, and cloath them in a proper Dress. The Sub Committee met, and considered the Minutes, making such Observations on them as then occured: when Mr. Jefferson desired me to take them to my Lodgings and make the Draught. This I declined and gave several reasons for declining. 1. That he was a Virginian and I a Massachusettensian. 2. that he was a southern Man and I a northern one. 3.That I had been so obnoxious for my early and constant Zeal in promoting the Measure, that any draught of mine, would undergo a more severe Scrutiny and Criticism in Congress, than one of his composition. 4thly and lastly that would be reason enough if there were no other, I had great Opinion of the Elegance of his pen and none at all of my own . . . He accordingly took the Minutes and in a day or two produced to me his Draught . . . “

Labor

For those struggling throughout the Great Depression, the New Deal WPA (Works Progressive Administration) promised not just employment, food and shelter, but hope for the American dream.

From 1939 – 1943 workers participated in massive public projects from building roads, to making art across the country. A collection of photographs depicting this period are in the archives of FSA/OWI (Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information). They show not only a monumental time in American history, but a still applicable vision of American fantasy.

While most of us are familiar with the Dorothea Lange’s Depression-era photos, this particular era of American life has been largely forgotten. These rich color images, taken within three years of the invention of Kodachrome, serve to inspire as much as to document.

(Click images to enlarge.)

A collection of photographs like the ones above, on a wide range of subjects, are in the archives of FSA/OWI (Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information). These rich color images, taken within three years of the invention of Kodachrome, serve to inspire as much as to document. To see more of them on this site, type “WPA color” into the small search window in the sidebar on the right of this page. For the complete collection, visit the WPA site by tapping the link in the sidebar box marked “Photography.”

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DoodleMeister.com

O.K., I've been asked to explain the blog name. Of course you know that the word "doodle" usually refers to random jottings made while otherwise occupied—on the phone, attending meetings, watching television, or just daydreaming. Doodles are very rough sketches of people, patterns, animals, objects, etc. My plan for this blog is to expand the definition of doodling to include play writing, prose (fiction and non), and anything else (woodworking? ironing shirts?), that invades my brain pan. A little of this, a little of that—the whole blog becoming one big hybrid doodle. As for the "meister" part, that's just pure vanity.

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